Florida Judge Calls Mass Shooter ‘A Threat To The Community’ Before Ordering Him To Remain Behind Bars

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Robin Fuson ruled that Tyrell Phillips posed a threat to the community, and no release conditions were in place to ensure citizens remained safe.

A judge has ordered a man accused of killing a 14-year-old and injuring others in a mass shooting in Ybor City, Florida, to remain locked up.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Robin Fuson ruled that Tyrell Phillips posed a threat to the community, and no release conditions were in place to ensure citizens remained safe.

“The safest place for him and our community is inside the Hillsborough County Jail,” Fuson said. The shooting happened on Halloween weekend, leaving a minor, later identified as Elijah Wilson, and a 20-year-old dead with 16 others injured. Two groups were seen getting into an altercation shortly before 3:00 a.m. on Oct. 29.

A few weeks later, Phillips was arrested after turning himself in and is facing several felony charges, including possession of a firearm while wearing a mask and carrying a concealed firearm. State Attorney Suzy Lopez agrees with Judge Fuson’s decision, given video evidence shows the teenage victim didn’t use a weapon before dying, and Phillips claimed he shot in self-defense.

“Tyrell Phillips stood on a crowded 7th Avenue in historic Ybor City’s entertainment district and fired at a teenager three times,” Lopez said in a statement. “There are no pretrial conditions a court could impose that would make the community safe from a man who would commit such a senseless murder. He has no regard for human life and remains a danger to the people of Hillsborough County.”

At a prosecutor’s request, Fuson also banned Phillips from contacting anyone affiliated with the groups, described as rivals. Phillips is believed to be friends with several people in one of the groups that a prosecutor called a gang. During the three-hour hearing, Assistant State Attorney Justin Diaz showed a series of rap videos posted by the group on YouTube. Phillips and other people can be seen throughout the videos holding guns and flashing different hand signs. Two people identified in the videos were also seen the night of the shooting, with one of them being shot.

An investigation to identify the other shooters remains open. “Our partners at the Tampa Police Department continue the investigation into the crime and separate shootings that occurred at the same location,” the State Attorney’s Office says. Anyone with more information is eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.